Doorcheck



July 25, 1933. LEVENE 1,919,338

DOORCHECK- Filed May 14, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- ZOU/S A. LEVE/VE.

ATTORNEY- L. L. LEVENE July 25, 1933.

DOORCHECK Filed May 14, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 25,"1:933 v LOUIS L. Lemma MERBIGK, NEW YORK nooRcnneK Applieation'filed May 14, 1932. Serial No. 811,297.

Various devices havejbeen devisedtor auv tomatieally closing doors with regulated motion'to avoid slamming of the dooragainst the door jamb. Such devices haveeommonly been termeddoor checks. The majority of door checks heretofore devised. andin use are rather large and expensive because they include complicatetl mechanism for transmitting the energy expended injopening the door to a resilient'member, in which part 7 of the energy'is storedin the form of potential energy, and transposing that stored energy, when released, into closing movement of the door. Commonly, these door checks are largeand cumbersome,requiring a large housing'to enclose the mechanism, and they are fastened totli'e, doors, where they are at all times visiblefrom the interior of the room. In certain instances, door checks have been devised whereby the check may be concealed in'the floor beneaththedoor. These flatter types of door checks;are,however, eo1nplicated'and expensive, and involve a high installation charge because of=tl1e necessity of providing a pocket below the door toreceive the check mechanism. i

By my invention, I havedevised a door check having cooperating parts adapted to be included :inthe doorand door frame and which is simple in construction, comparative ly inexpensive to *n'i'anufacture, and my be concealed withinthe door. my invention eliminates the necessity of vusing the common link motion for the'transjposition of angular movement of the door into motion in such direction as to store'up potential energy in a resilient member and" transmitting that "energy to the door for closing the door. In accordance with my invention, I provide a door eheck in' which angular movement offthe door directly transposed, without the use of intermediary link mechanism, into straight line motion'of I the operative mechanism (if-the door check. The door cheek eil'ects the closing of thedoor by straight line action of the CllGClQIDQClI- anism and thus, eliminates the necessity of complicated and expensive transposing mechanism common in the usual type of door check. 7 i I jaeent the hinged edge of the door'. :Sur-

The device of which has conical walls.

'ing the piston towards the reservoir end of Afeatui'e of my inventionis t'he fact that it'is equally applicable todoors that swing intwo directions. a 1

'An advantage of the door' check of -my invention is "the fact that the doorcloser mechanism I becomes inoperative when the door isopened beyond a certain angular position: I -Another feature of my invention" is thefact-that' theclose-r action of the door cheek may be restrained at certain definite angular positions at which it may bev desirable to n aintainthe door in an open position;

Speeifieal'ly,-the dooreheck of myinven- V tionessentiallyjneludes two cooperating sec- 'tions,'one1of which is adapted tobe monn'ted v infth'edoor,' and another adapted to fbe mounted in the door 'frame." The section mounted in'the door eomprisesan elongated j I cylinder, "preferably;mounted in'the rail 01 the door," longitudinally thereof. Within 1 this cylinder there is, reciprocally 'mounted -a"pist0n to which is'seeured a piston rod that extends through 'thej end of the cylinder ad- (L35 roundin g the piston rodis a eonvoliite spring which acts between an "adjustable abutment within the cylinder and thepiston, and re: silie-ntly urges thepiston-in a directionwithin the cylinder to' withdraw the piston rod into the cylinder, AttheOtheI-endof' the cylinder, there is a 'fiuid reservoir fwhich communicates with the Jcylindenthrough two passages. One of, the passages is provided with a checlcvalve that per1nitsjitfreeflowv offluid from the reservoir intothe; cylinder 1 and prevents the 'fluid from flowing from the cylinderthrough the passage' baek tothe reservoir. :The otheripassage is ofs'maller diameter" and'ineliides a branch passage I Aeomplementary conical plug, accessible from 'outsi tlethe cylinder, cooperates with the conical "passage. In this waythe action of-thespringin pressthe cylinder.isrestricted so as to prevent rapidmovement 'o'f'the: piston in the cylinder under the aetionof the spring. The plugof coursem'ay be adjusted to .alford greater or lessresistanceto theflow of fluid through the passage in accordance with the desired freedom of operation of the door to which the door check is applied.

The. section .of the doorcheck adaptedto be mountedin the door frame consists of a two-part fixture which is mounted in the stile memberof; the door frame or,

. case of a door that swingsin .two directions,

I in the rail of the door frame. One part of 7 1Qv 7 thereof. As a door, containing a door check cured in thedoor frame consists of anarni this fixture has formed therein an involute .cam' track with the hinge of the door as the point about'which the inv'olute is described. On the end of the piston rod extending through the cylinder, there is mounted a cam follower which extends into the involute cam track and engages the side walls as described above, is moved angula-rly about its hinges' to open the door,the ever increas ing ra'dius of curvature of the involute cam track transposes the angular movement of the door directly into longitudinal movement of the piston rod and causes the piston. rod to be withdrawn from the cylmder, mov ing the piston within the cyl1nder against the action of the convolute spring andjthus storing .up potential energy in the form of the compressed spring. As the door is released-the force exerted on the piston by the spring is transmitted to the cam follower which presses against the side of the cam track. Due to the curvature of thecam track, the force so exerted is, broken up into components, one of which components acts tangentiallyto the cam track at the point of contact of the cam follower. Thistangea tial. force causes angular movement :of the piston rod whichis transmitted to the door. As the piston moves in the cylinder on opening th'e door, fluidflows from the reservoir at the end of the cylinder through the check valveand'into, the cylinder. As'thie spring acts to close the door, the check valve closes the unrestricted passage between the reservoir and the cylinder "and the fluid is forced to return to the reservoir through the restricted passage, thus checking and slowing down the movement of the piston under the action of thespring.- I V i V The otherpart of the fixture which is sethat is pivotally. secured .toth. fixture. This arm has a notch formed therein which coincides with thecam track in the fixture, and the end of the cam track is formed by this notchinthe arm. As the door is opened to a position in which the cam roller on the piston rod enters the notch in the arm, the door check becomes inoperativerand upon further opening movement of the door, the arm swings aboutits pivot, so that infill positions beyond that position in which the cam follower onthe piston rod enters the notch in this movable arm, the closure action of the door check is rendered inoperain the tive, and the door may be maintainedin anopen position.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following particular description of the embodiments thereof shownin the accompanying drawingsin which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of a door and door frame in which a door check embodying my invention is mounted; v

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional plan taken through the axis of the door check;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional-eleva-' tion of the door,showing the door check partly insection Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional elevation of the .door,taken on the line 4 -4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan .of a door adapted to swing n two directlons and havf fragmentary, sectional elevation members 2 and 3 respectively. The door is r pivotally mounted'in the door frame by.

-means' of the usual pivot hinges 4 l-Vithin.

the door, preferably in theupper rail member as shown in the drawings, 'theref is mounted one section'of a door check which section includes anelongated cylinder 5 of is illustrated in .J

a diameter lessthan the thickness of the 7 door; This cylinder is mounted within the door parallel to the. rail member and with one edge thereof in the plane of the hinged edge of the door. The ends of the cylinder are internally threaded and oneend. receives. a reduced externally threaded end of a built-up auxiliary cylinder 6 which includes the cast end that is received in the cylinder 5 and a cup-shaped sheet metal section'tia secured thereto. The auxiliary: cylinder forms a fluid reservoir, and the end 7 of this fluid reservoir forms a partition wall between the cylinder and the reservoir. Through the partition wall 7, t-her'e is a passage 8 sufficiently large to permit a free flow of fluid therethrough. On the outer surface of the partition wall there is pivotally mounted a flap valve 9 which is adapted to lie against the partition wall and cover the passage 8. The flap valve is mounted again'st'the outer surface of the partition wall so. that a free flow of fluid .is permitted from the reservoir to the cylin- F' der, whilea reverse flow, that is, a passage "of fluid from the cylinder to the reservoir is checked by the flap valve which, inv its normal position and when pressure is exerted upon it from the cylinder, lies against the partition wall and coversthe passages. A second passage 9 is provided in ,anex tension that extends inwardly-of the reser- 'voir from the partitionor end wall? This the plug different amounts into the passage 9a, the flow of fluid in returning to the reservoir, is moreor less restricted, and consequently it will require a. force in proportion to the restriction to force the liquid from the cylinder into the reservoir. Also through this extended passage'lO there is an opening for replenishing the fluid in the reservoir. This inlet opening sealed or closed by a threaded plug 11 which may he removed for introducing fluid into the reservoir. v

Vithin the cylinder 5 there is mounted a piston 12. The piston 12 has a reduced portion 13 on which is mounted a pair of reversed, cup-shaped, leather packing memhers. The cup-shaped packing members are i held in place on thepistonbetween a washpiston.

er ,14wvhich abuts against, the shoulder formed by reducing the diameter of the piston' and aunt 15 threaded on to the end of the piston. These cup-shaped leather washers iorm a fluid-tight slidable connection between the piston and the inner surface of the cylinder. To this piston there is-secured a piston i 116, one endof which is threaded into a recess 17 formed in the end of the The piston rodextends longitudinally of the cylinder and through the end of the cylinder at the hinged edge of the door. The outer end 18 of the piston rod is enlarged and there is a radial pin 19 extending through the enlarged end or head and secured thereto. On this pin, thereare mounted-cam followers 20, one oneither side of the piston rod. I

The internal threads in the end'of the cylinder at the hinged edge of the door en gage external threads formed on an abutment member 21 which "fits within thecylinder. The abutment has a reduced annular portion and between the shoulder 22, formed by reducing the diameter of the abutment, and a shoulder '23, formed on the piston 12, there is mounted a convolu'te spring 24 which surrounds the piston rod. This spring acts between thejabutment 21' which is stationary with respect to "the cylinder and the piston 12 and resiliently urges the piston towards the reservoir e nd of thecyltrack in the fixture.

in'der,that is in a direction to'draw' the piston rod intothe' cylinder. The abutment 21 is provided ,on its outerend with recesses which 'are'adapted to receive a wrench for adjusting'the abutment in the cylinder 21 and varyingthe force with which the spring 24 acts upon'the piston '12. Theend of the cylinder through which the piston rod extends is closed byan'ext'e-rnallythreaded cap 26 that engages the internal threadson the cylinder. "This cap is provided with a hub 21 through which the piston rod extends. The cap also has-a pair of recesses thecap and adjusting'the abutment.

or openings .therethrough located similar to i the recesses 25 in the abutment 21 so that. f the same wrench may be used for removing Cooperating with the-section-of the door check above described, {there is another section which consists of'a, fixture 28 which is mounted on the stile ofthe door framein the same plane as the cylinder of therl'oor i check. This fixture extends through the J stile member and onone side of the door, i that is, thehxture is iL -shapedin-plan. In

this fixture there is cut a groove29 and 'in'v the walls of -this groove there are cut opposed cam recesses 30. These cam recesses are adapted to receivethe cam followers20 mounted on the radial pin, extending through, the enlarged end of the piston rod,

The camgrooves or cam tracks are involute curves, the base circles of which are described about the center of the hinge connectionbetween thedoolr frame'an-d the door. The --involute curved cam tracks present an ever widening cam surface in an angular direction. These cam tracks cooperate with the cam followers and the piston rod to move the piston rod longitudinally of the cylinder 'when' the cylmder is moved an,.,ularly with I the opening and closing of the door.

The fixture also includes an L-shaped arm- 28mwh1ch is pivotallysecured to. the fixture by means of ahinge-33. .This (arm forms one side of the L-shapedfixture, the side'ad- In tins arm there-is formed jacent the door. a notch 34 which forms the end'of the cam Thisnotch is such that the force exerted on the cam follower-by the spring '23 is not resolved into atangential component so thatwhenv the cam follower enters this notch, the'closure action of the check is rendered inoperative.- On. opening the door further than the PC SlillOlldIl which the cam followers entered the notch in the "arm, the arm swings aboutits hinge connectionto the fixture, andfin-all positions in which this arm swings aboutits hinge, the

closer device is rendered inoperative. In the door check shown in the drawings, the cam followers on the-piston rod engage this arm when the door is opened-at an angle of ap- I proximately 110. I v

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated the door check described above as itis used in con-- In nection with a doubleswinging door. this construction-the door clieclcis identical with that described above, with the excep .tion that the extended end of the piston rod, extending through the end of the cylinder, is bent at an angleof 90to "form an anguinextension 31 on which the cam follower p l is mounted, anu the cam track fix-tore 28 mounted in the rail of the door ffllllllB rather than in the stile. This cam track is a double canitrach being made up of 'two involute curves, one on'eitherside of the central, vertical, longitudinal plane oi? the door, and the two tracks being connected together so asto permit tree angularmove ment of the piston rod in either direction. The curve is of course symmetrical onboth sides of the vertical, central plane of the door;

The operation of the door check above described is as 'follows: As the door, is

opened, that is, moved angularly with respect to the door frame and about its pivotal connection thereto, the cam followers "20, secured to the piston rod, move along the cam track formed in the fixture 28. As this cam track is of an. ever increasing radius of curvature, the piston'rod will be withdrawn to a greater or less extent, depending upon the angular movement of the door. As the piston rod is with rawn byth'e action of the cam track, the piston will be movedin the cylinder against the action or the spring The piston moving in the cylinder creates a reduced pressure at l'he'reservoir end of the cylinder and fluid flows from the reservoir into the cylinder through the passage 8, swinging the-flap valve 9 about ts pivot. lVhen the dooris released, the potential energy stored up in the spring 24., by virtue of the movement ofthe piston against the spring and the compression of the spring between the abutment and the piston, is re- I cam track, and in adirection to move the piston rod angularly, thus closing the door.

lhis closing action of the door is restricted by the incompressible fluid which has passed through the passage 8 from the reservoir into the cylinder. The pressure on the fluid exerted by the spring pushing the piston towardsthe reservoir endof the cylinder closes the flap valve and in order for the fluid to return to the reservoir,.it must pass through the passage 9.. Only a small p0 r 7 tion of the fluid can pass through this passage at a time and consequently the move-v ment of the piston towards'the reservoir end of, the cylinder is restricted inv accordance with the resistance placed upon the fluid passing through the passage 9.. Asheretotore. described, the restriction to the'fiow of the fluid may be varied by.zulj-usting theplug 10 in accordance with the desired speed of the pistons. The resistance to the flow of fluid checksthe action of the door closerso as to prevent the door 'l'rom slamming against the door jamb.

By cutting notches in the walls of the cam track, as indicated at35, the door may be heldopen against the closing actionof the check in yarious positions, for the force exerted will. not be broken up into the necessary components.

From the above description of my inven- U01], together with the explanation of the operation of the door cheek, itwill. be ob:

yious to those skilled in the art that Lhave produced aldoor check in. which all the action ormechanical movement is astraight line in(wem'ent. straight line movement is that it accompli shes a reciprocating movement of the con trolling piston off the door check without the use oil-the usual complicated and expensive linlrniotions characteristicot the common door checks now in use; it results in a-door check that 'may be completely concealed witliinthe door, and itv providesa construction of a' door checlrthat is comparatively inexpensive. l Y Y It is obvious that various changes may be made by those skilled in the artin the details of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings and described The importance of this ice above within the principle and scopezof the appended claims.

I- claim: I

l. A door check comprising. a cylinder adapted to be mounted on a door, a piston reciprocally mounted within the cylinder, resilient means acting upon said piston to urge the oist'on toward one end ofthe c linder l. w p a t a means adapted to cooperate with the piston rod for transposing longitudinalmovement thereofinto angular movement of the cylinder, means for rendering said xtran sposing means inoperative in certain angular posi tions of the cyl. inder,.andadditional-means for restraining operation of the check mechanism beyond a certain angular position of the cylinder. F V

2. A door check coniprising'in combination, a cylinder adapted to be mounted on a door, a piston reciprocally mounted within the cylinder, resilient means within the c r.

inder and acting upon the piston to urge the piston towards one end of the cylinder, a piston rod secured to the pistonand extending through the cylinder, and a fixture adapted to be mounted on the door frame and having a cam track therein cooperating with the piston 'rod fortransportmg longitudinal movement of the piston rod into adapted to be mounted on the door frame and having a cam track therein cooperating With the piston rod for transposin'g longitudinal movement of the piston rod into angular movement of the cylinder, said cam 7 track having a notch therein for interrupting the transposing action at a particular angular position of the cylinder, and an arm .pivotally secured to said fixture and having a notch therein in alignment with the cam track. 7 i i 4. A door closer and check comprising in the assembled position a fixture mounted on a door frame and a closer and check mounted on the door and including a housing and a longitudinally movable member extending through the housing and into the fixture, said fixture and movable member being directly connected and the fixture including means for transposing angular movement of the housing into longitudinal movement of,

the, movable member in one direction and longitudinal movement otthe movable member in' the opposite directioninto angular movement of the housing, and" closer and check mechanism' Within the housing in cluding means acting upon 1 said movablemember tending to move it 111 the direction to cause angular movement of the closure mechanismand retarding means for retarding the movementof themovable member 5. A door closer andchec'k coi'nprising in the assembled positiona fixture "havlng an involutc cam track therein mounted on a 1 door frame, a closer and check including a cylindrical housing mounted Within the door I and an axially movable rod extendingthrough one end of the cylindrical housing and into the fixture,.a' cam follower on the movable rodengaging the faces of the cam track in thefixture, and cooperating with the cam in the fixture to transpose angular movement :of the cylindrical housing into longitudinal movement of the rod in one direction and longitudinal movement of the rod in the opposite direction into angular movement of the cylindricalhousing, and

closer and check mechanism Within the cylIDClI'lCal hous ng lncluding means acting,

upon the rod tending to move it in the direction to cause angular movement of the closure mechanism and retarding means for retarding movement 'ofthe movable member.

LOUIS L vENE. 

